Site Search Navigation

Site Navigation

Site Mobile Navigation

Gadgetwise Lives! And So Do Other Things!

By Sam Grobart November 19, 2008 2:46 pmNovember 19, 2008 2:46 pm

Now that Gadgetwise is ready for the world, we wanted to:

a) Thank you for checking us out.

b) Let you know about a few other projects that got their start in the last 24 hours. One of them is our Holiday Buying Guide, where Times contributors and editors have selected some of the best gadgets to give this winter. We’ve divided the products up by recipient, so you can find the right gift for a road warrior, a part-time athlete, a television fan and a pre-teen.

Illustration by The New York Times

The other project that we unveiled is the Pogue-o-matic. What we’ve been able to do, through the miracle of modern video editing, is create an interactive product finder featuring a wee-size David Pogue who can guide you through the process as you find the right gadget for you. For this version, we’re focusing on cameras, camcorders, smartphones and televisions. As Pogue explains your options and you make your choices, you’ll see what started as a large mess of product turn into a smaller, more manageable group that fits the description you created. You can then find available Pogue reviews, CNet reviews and get more information to make your choice with ease.

Both of these new features — and a few others that will be revealed in the coming weeks — can be found at our Personal Tech Extra page, which is one-stop shopping for anyone who wants to find holiday-related gadget coverage in The New York Times.

Have a merry and a happy and — as gift buying begins in earnest — good hunting.

This is a great idea that needs huge tweaking. After choosing Verizon and non-3G cellphones, I got a whopping one suggestion: a media phone when I need a heavy duty Word Mobile installation.
I would love to see a site that organized tech hardware by purpose: what do you want to do? Purpose, I hope, would be refined into several options. Often I see a gadget introduction and can’t figure out whether it will do something I want done.
Regarding level of screen, here are a couple of examples. I listen to NPR a whole lot and would like not to keep missing pieces because I’m out. I’ve heard conflicting opinions about whether or not an iPod or MP3 player can solve my problem. But conventionally organized tech advice never seems to get me there. Same with cellphones. I need to edit Word files on a phone and a large enough screen to limit constant scrollling. No one seems to answer this in normal reviews.
Good luck with the Pogue-o-Matic. I wish you enough luck that you’ll expand it to either include way more products or way more screening levels.
Marcie Bader

David is still talking after I’ve closed the site on my browser. The people talking in the background are distracting. Especially the sneezer. When clicking my choices it says I’ve made the wrong choice. The info may be great, but I can’t get to it.

What's Next

About

Gadgetwise is a blog about everything related to buying and using tech products. From figuring out which gadget to buy and how to get the best deal on it to configuring it once it’s out of the box, Gadgetwise offers a mix of information, analysis and opinion to help you get the most out of your personal tech.